Media devices, such as a set top box, are configured to receive media content events from a broadcasting system. Non-limiting examples of media content events include movies, news programs, sporting events, serial comedies or dramas, and other program events that are communicated to the media device by a program service provider over the broadcasting system. Non-limiting examples of broadcasting systems include satellite systems, cable or other wire-based systems, or over the air (OTA) broadcasting systems.
The media content events are communicated to the media device in the form of content streams. The timing of the communication of the media content stream coincides with the scheduled presentation times of the particular media content event. For example, if a scheduled presentation time of a movie is 8:00 p.m. on a particular day, then the media content stream that includes the beginning of the movie is received at the media device at 8:00 p.m., or shortly before 8:00 p.m. so as to provide sufficient time for processing, on the scheduled presentation day.
Typically, the media content event schedules are indicated on an electronic program guide (EPG). The EPG indicates the presentation start time and date for each of the available media content events. Further, the EPG indicates the ending time of presentation of the media content event, title of the media content event, the channel that the media content event is available on, a brief description of the subject matter of the media content event, and/or other information of interest. A user, by navigating about the EPG, may select media content events of interest for immediate presentation and/or for storage in a memory medium, such as a digital video recorder (DVR) in the media device. Future scheduled media content events may also be selected for presentation and/or storage by selecting such future media content events via the EPG.
Often, the user selects a particular media content event for immediate presentation and/or storage after the media content event has started. That is, the user initiates presentation and/or storage at a time after the scheduled beginning of the media content event. Since the initial portion of the media content event has already been broadcast (from its beginning up to the time that the user selects the media content event for presentation and/or storage), the user will not be able to access the initial portion of the selected media content event.
For example, the user may be channel surfing or may be viewing a media content event that is no longer of interest. The user, by changing channels or by navigating about the presented EPG, may initiate presentation and/or storage of the newly selected media content event. The channel change or EPG selection causes the media device to present the newly selected media content event starting at a point in its presentation schedule that corresponds to the current time. For example, the user may select the movie (that was originally scheduled to begin presentation at 8:00 p.m.) at 8:10 p.m. Accordingly, the initial ten minutes of the movie will not be available for presentation to the user since this initial portion of the movie has already been communicated to the media device over the broadcast system. There is no practical way for the media content system to access the missed initial portion of the newly selected media content event.
Accordingly, there is a need in the arts to allow a media device to access a missed initial portion of a selected media content event.